Vortex Energy Partners with the University of Alberta on Collaborative Research on Hydrogen and Energy Storage at the Robinsons River Salt Project

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vortex Energy Corp. (CSE: VRTX | OTC: VTECF | FRA: AA3) ("Vortex” or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a collaborative research sponsorship agreement with the University of Alberta (“U of A”) to advance the Robinsons River Salt Project in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. As part of the collaboration, Vortex has agreed to make cash payments and substantial in-kind contributions over a 2-year period and to provide the U of A with core samples from the Robinsons River Salt Project. In return, the U of A has agreed to perform laboratory and mathematical analyses with the intent of designing and implementing the first field trial of hydrogen storage in a domal salt in Canada at the Robinsons River Salt Project.

The potential market for hydrogen storage in salt caverns is substantial. This research and development aligns with the global shift towards decarbonization and the transition to a more sustainable energy system. The hydrogen market is expected to grow significantly in the coming decades, driven by sectors such as transportation, industry, and power generation, which seek cleaner energy alternatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

>> RELATED: Vortex Energy Announces Large Scale Hydrogen Storage Estimates at the Robinsons River Salt Project

Building on its current fundamental research into hydrogen-rock interactions, the U of A team will develop protocols and guidelines to optimize locations, design specifications, and operational parameters for hydrogen storage in the salt caverns proposed to be developed at the Robinsons River Salt Project. To achieve this goal, the research team will conduct proof of concept experiments on core samples and simulation studies to identify and unlock the challenges related to containment and contamination of stored hydrogen. The findings are expected to help to develop a multi-physics model to predict hydrogen transport and reactions in the caverns proposed to be developed at the Robinsons River Salt Project as functions of temperature, pressure, in-situ stress, rock fabric and composition, and storage operational parameters.

This two-year project is planned to consist of four research phases:

1. Optimizing the depth interval of the proposed storage caverns by pore-scale visualization and petrophysical analysis of the preserved core samples;
2. Evaluating the possibility and extent of hydrogen loss through the proposed cavern wall and wellbore under operation parameters by analyzing the laboratory and field data;
3. Evaluating the extent of hydrogen contamination by measuring and modeling geochemical reactions; and
4. Evaluating mechanical stability of the proposed caverns by analyzing in-situ stress conditions and rock mechanical properties under cavern operating conditions.

The project tasks will be conducted by at least three PhD students and one postdoc fellow under the supervision of Dr. Hassan Deghanpour and other faculty members with relevant expertise at the U of A, utilizing the state-of-the-art facilities at the U of A. Vortex’s cash contribution to the project will total C$300,000 over a 2-year period, commencing on October 1st, 2023. Vortex will also track and record all in-kind contributions including but not limited to geological, geophysical, engineering, drilling, sampling, and reporting work completed on the Robinsons River Salt Project.

Major laboratory infrastructure required for the proposed hydrogen-related experiments (core flooding systems, reactors, and visualization systems) have been recently designed and built under a recent grant awarded to the research team by Alberta Innovates Hydrogen Center of Excellence and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. As part of their partnership, Vortex and the U of A will actively seek out other provincial and federal grants designated for hydrogen and green energy initiatives throughout North America. The Company is also exploring the opportunity to use developed hydrogen caverns for compressed air energy storage.

Paul Sparkes, Chief Executive Officer, commented “The University of Alberta is world renowned for its work in energy. This partnership places Vortex at the forefront of hydrogen and energy storage research in domal salt structures in Atlantic Canada. Dr. Hassan Deghanpour and his team of researchers have already received grants from the likes of Alberta Innovates’ Hydrogen Centre of Excellence, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Mitacs Accelerate Grants Program. We are thrilled to be partnering with an institution and team of this caliber.”

About the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta in Edmonton is one of the top teaching and research universities in Canada, with an international reputation for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering and health sciences. The university and its people remain dedicated to the promise made in 1908 by founding president Henry Marhsall Tory that knowledge shall be used for “uplifting the whole people”.

About Vortex Energy Corp.

Vortex Energy Corp. is an exploration stage company engaged principally in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in North America. The company is currently advancing its Robinson River Salt Project comprised of a total of 942 claims covering 23,500 hectares located approximately 35 linear kms south of the town of Stephenville in the Province of Newfoundland & Labrador. The Robinson River Salt Project is prospective for both salt and hydrogen salt cavern storage. The company is actively evaluating technologies to efficiently store hydrogen or energy in salt caverns. Vortex Energy Corp. also holds the Fire Eye Project, which is located in the Wollaston Domain of northern Saskatchewan, Canada.